Had never seen any of the series with Sidney Toler playing the inscrutable CC, and may be awhile before doing again. Decent pace on both films (single disc) with lots of cool supporting actors, particularly Lionel Atwill in both. Both were made by Paramount, but they both have a 1940's Universal vibe: silly, rushed and unfunny comedy relief. CCIP does get some help from pretty accurate naming of various spots in Panama that I remember from living in the Canal Zone from 1973-76. The biggest liability is the inclusion of "Number Two Son" played by Victor Sen Young...almost every scene gets thrown into the toilet by his character and almost wish Charle would put him in the Army or feed him to the sharks. In the same year, Young was very good in THE LETTER, playing an extremely conniving aide and he also ended playing Hop Sing on BONANZA!

CCMC-**1/2
CCIP-**

You were in PCZ 73-76? What was that like? I watched a netflix doc on the PCZ a few months ago. Do you think the US should have given back full ownership/control to the state of Panama?

Quote:

Originally Posted by FryeDwight

BELA LUGOSI MEETS A BROOKLYN GORILLA (1952). While it is as interesting as its title, Bela does get some good scenes in here. Also known as THE BOYS FROM BROOKLYN, the boys in question being Duke Mitchell and Sammy Petrillo. Duke isn't much, but Sammy looks and acts almost uncannily as a young Jerry Lewis...and about as annoying as Jerry could be too! **

I always wondered about this movie. Has a title you'd never forget. I assume Bela is not playing himself, right? I think I always wondered if it would be too silly. Is this a comedy or serious?

You were in PCZ 73-76? What was that like? I watched a netflix doc on the PCZ a few months ago. Do you think the US should have given back full ownership/control to the state of Panama?

I always wondered about this movie. Has a title you'd never forget. I assume Bela is not playing himself, right? I think I always wondered if it would be too silly. Is this a comedy or serious?

Hi Sculpt
PCZ was an intersting time. My Dad was stationed in Norfolk VA befpre PCZ and we left there in a nasty Blizzard with Charleston SC our destination, but we got rerouted to Jacksonville FL as Charleston was snowed in. Took a train the next day and by the time we got to Charleston, we were straded and the National Guard had to collect us and remember getting to the airport and getting a NIGHTMARE magazine and picking up VAMPIRELLA #23 and a wrestling magazine the next day as we waited hours for the plane to come. When we finally landed, could not believe how warm it was after all the cold and how it stayed that way year round other than a dry period of a few months. The CZ was very Americanized with all the things You would expect from small town America. Lots of swimming pools, Bowling alleys,and all the Monster/wrestling/ Comic magazines I wanted! My Mom had a bit of a wanderlust, so lots of day trips to Pacific/Atlantic sides of the country, the Canal itself and old Panama City which we lived next to. Joined the Boy Scouts and several hikes involving a trip to an island and through a jungle path Henry Morgan carved to get to Panama City.
Even as a little kid, could feel the resentment from the locals about US presence and was appalled when Carter signed it over and figured at least, US should get some payment for building the thing, but politics don't really mesh on entertaiment boards. Crazy thing was, after my Dad's tour was over, we got shipped to an Army base above Chicago IL right next to Lake Michigan, so back to snow!~

BLMABG has Bela's name for Marquee value-he is called Dr Zabor in the film. He helps, but movie still geys a ** from me.

Hi Sculpt
PCZ was an intersting time. My Dad was stationed in Norfolk VA befpre PCZ and we left there in a nasty Blizzard with Charleston SC our destination, but we got rerouted to Jacksonville FL as Charleston was snowed in. Took a train the next day and by the time we got to Charleston, we were straded and the National Guard had to collect us and remember getting to the airport and getting a NIGHTMARE magazine and picking up VAMPIRELLA #23 and a wrestling magazine the next day as we waited hours for the plane to come. When we finally landed, could not believe how warm it was after all the cold and how it stayed that way year round other than a dry period of a few months. The CZ was very Americanized with all the things You would expect from small town America. Lots of swimming pools, Bowling alleys,and all the Monster/wrestling/ Comic magazines I wanted! My Mom had a bit of a wanderlust, so lots of day trips to Pacific/Atlantic sides of the country, the Canal itself and old Panama City which we lived next to. Joined the Boy Scouts and several hikes involving a trip to an island and through a jungle path Henry Morgan carved to get to Panama City.
Even as a little kid, could feel the resentment from the locals about US presence and was appalled when Carter signed it over and figured at least, US should get some payment for building the thing, but politics don't really mesh on entertaiment boards. Crazy thing was, after my Dad's tour was over, we got shipped to an Army base above Chicago IL right next to Lake Michigan, so back to snow!~

BLMABG has Bela's name for Marquee value-he is called Dr Zabor in the film. He helps, but movie still geys a ** from me.

From a US interest perspective, it's too bad the canal zone wasn't at the border of two countries; where the US would have had an easier time purchasing the land. As it is, it's right down the middle of the Panama nation, so to purchase it would literally slice the nation into two, something the people of Panama would not like at all.

I'm glad they didn't, but this is where you would have expected the CIA try to foment a North Vs South Panama, with one of them breaking off to form their own country, making it easier for the US to force a purchase.

I think the US should have tried to purchase the land with a name-your-price amount. I can't remember now, but I assume Panama refused. Next, the US should have tried to give all the Net income from the canal to Panama in return for owner-operations. Lastly, if the US had to, give all income from the canal to Panama in return for owner-operations -- it would be worth it to the US. I don't know if those were offered Panama, but it's done now.

Gorilla -- It would be funny if Bela became Dracula and fought the gorilla. That's what people want.

LOVE FROM A STRANGER (1937). Pretty good Agatha Christie story (and it has a future Miss Marple -Joan Hickson-in one of her first roles) that has good performances by Ann Harding , whose engagement to snooty Ronnie is broken due to her winning a lottery and meeting smooth talking Basil Rathbone and of course, things are not quite what they appear to be.
Some slow spots, but really not bad overall and quite exciting towards the end as BR goes into total Looney Tunes phase. Directed by Rowland V Lee who later directed Basil in two more expensive productions-SON OF FRANKENSTEIN and TOWER OF LONDON-a couple of years down the road. ***

LOVE FROM A STRANGER (1937). Pretty good Agatha Christie story (and it has a future Miss Marple -Joan Hickson-in one of her first roles) that has good performances by Ann Harding , whose engagement to snooty Ronnie is broken due to her winning a lottery and meeting smooth talking Basil Rathbone and of course, things are not quite what they appear to be.
Some slow spots, but really not bad overall and quite exciting towards the end as BR goes into total Looney Tunes phase. Directed by Rowland V Lee who later directed Basil in two more expensive productions-SON OF FRANKENSTEIN and TOWER OF LONDON-a couple of years down the road. ***

LOVE FROM A STRANGER (1937). Pretty good Agatha Christie story (and it has a future Miss Marple -Joan Hickson-in one of her first roles) that has good performances by Ann Harding , whose engagement to snooty Ronnie is broken due to her winning a lottery and meeting smooth talking Basil Rathbone and of course, things are not quite what they appear to be.
Some slow spots, but really not bad overall and quite exciting towards the end as BR goes into total Looney Tunes phase. Directed by Rowland V Lee who later directed Basil in two more expensive productions-SON OF FRANKENSTEIN and TOWER OF LONDON-a couple of years down the road. ***

"Would you like to see the kitchen?" LOL Looks like a fun film. Would guess a totally different movie altogether if you switch year numbers Love from a Stranger (1973). Did you ever see Tower of London? I don't think I had even heard of it.

Isle of the Dead (1945)
7/10

Classic dark drama starring Boris Karloff as a General Pherides, who takes a one day respite from the Balkan Wars of 1912 to take American reporter Oliver Davis (Marc Cramer) to see a nearby island were the General's wife is buried. There's a spectre of plague, and they, with a small group already there, are forced to stay until the threat passes. The visitors then must deal with an accusation that a sickly woman's young greek companion Thea (Ellen Drew) is a vorvolaka, a malevolent force in human form.

The film has rich effective black and white cinematography and starts out intriguing enough, as Karloff is a cold and dutiful general who struggles with conflicting beliefs, civil duties and compassion. As the 1hr 11min film moves into the second half, the characters and scenes lose sharpness and purpose, making for a slow pace and seemingly meandering plot; but the poetic end comes quick enough.

"Would you like to see the kitchen?" LOL Looks like a fun film. Would guess a totally different movie altogether if you switch year numbers Love from a Stranger (1973). Did you ever see Tower of London? I don't think I had even heard of it.

Isle of the Dead (1945)
7/10

Classic dark drama starring Boris Karloff as a General Pherides, who takes a one day respite from the Balkan Wars of 1912 to take American reporter Oliver Davis (Marc Cramer) to see a nearby island were the General's wife is buried. There's a spectre of plague, and they, with a small group already there, are forced to stay until the threat passes. The visitors then most deal with an accusation that a sickly woman's young greek companion Greek Thea (Ellen Drew) is a vorvolaka, a malevolent force in human form.

The film has rich effective black and white cinematography and starts out intriguing enough, as Karloff is a cold and dutiful general who struggles with conflicting beliefs, civil duties and compassion. As the 1hr 11min film moves into the second half, the characters and scenes lose sharpness and purpose, making for a slow pace and seemingly meandering plot; but the poetic end comes quick enough.

Kind of had a fondness for "Are You going to believe that doddering old Fool or Me?'" or even "Faster! FASTER!!"

Kind of ambivalent of IOTD, certainly not bad, but just doesn't gel all the way for me. Knew there were production problems throughout the shooting which may have caused said feelings.

THE CAINE MUTINY (1953). The "Romantic Leads" are nothing special, but good performances by Van Johnson, Jose Ferrer and Lee Marvin help out. Also, probably Humphrey Bogart's BEST performance-he truly makes the film worth seeing; his twitchy paranoid Captain Queeg is right up there with Sam Spade, Phillip Marlowe and Fred C Dobbs. Only spoiler I can possibly offer is Fred MacMurray's character is SUCH a bitch. ***

THE MANSTER (1962, athough different dates have been shown). Back when I discovered the absolute joy of spending hours visiting Fan sites on the Internet, one of my favorites was the very much missed EC-ECENTRIC CINEMA which had a sense of fun with decent reviews, good photos/sound clips and very fair rating system. What made Me fall in love was their statement "Sometimes We ENJOY Bad Movies" and THE MANSTER belongs in that category. For this one, EC had a trio of pictures at the top which said "Half Man...Half Monster...ALL JERK!"
While the circumstances of becoming the title creature are not his fault , Larry becomes a nasty drunken whoremaster and You really don't care what happens to him, although the end result is quite humorous. More frightening is that Larry looks like a cross between William H Macy and Lon Chaney JR!
While this review looks critical, this is a fun little flick that should be checked out for the sheer lunacy of it. Even more bizarre is the fact that the married couple here (Larry/Linda) met on the set and actually had a long happy marriage togeather! ****

THE MANSTER (1962, athough different dates have been shown). Back when I discovered the absolute joy of spending hours visiting Fan sites on the Internet, one of my favorites was the very much missed EC-ECENTRIC CINEMA which had a sense of fun with decent reviews, good photos/sound clips and very fair rating system. What made Me fall in love was their statement "Sometimes We ENJOY Bad Movies" and THE MANSTER belongs in that category. For this one, EC had a trio of pictures at the top which said "Half Man...Half Monster...ALL JERK!"
While the circumstances of becoming the title creature are not his fault , Larry becomes a nasty drunken whoremaster and You really don't care what happens to him, although the end result is quite humorous. More frightening is that Larry looks like a cross between William H Macy and Lon Chaney JR!
While this review looks critical, this is a fun little flick that should be checked out for the sheer lunacy of it. Even more bizarre is the fact that the married couple here (Larry/Linda) met on the set and actually had a long happy marriage togeather! ****